Running time approximately 50 minutes.
A humorous and lively version of the famous classic by Robert Louis Stevenson. There are lots of pirates, lots of action and even some talking goats!
Young Jim Hawkins is working in his mother’s Inn, when an old sea dog by the name of Billy Bones comes to stay. Billy Bones has a treasure map and soon, all the scum of the pirate world come after the map. Bones gives the map to young Jim before he dies and The Squire and the Doctor charter a ship to go on a treasure-seeking adventure. However, the dastardly pirates are determined to be part of the adventure and things don’t quite turn out how anyone planned.
The play is peppered with sea shanties and we give YouTube and MP3 links for rehearsal purposes.
25 speaking parts, non-speaking could be added.
As with all our plays, there are full production notes that give advice on scenery, costumes and props.
NO ROYALTIES. PHOTOCOPYING LICENCE INCLUDED.
Here’s a sample
SCENE 1.
The Admiral Benbow Inn.
JIM HAWKINS (sitting at a table and writing in a book)
Squire Trelawney and Doctor Livesey said that I should write down all the particulars concerning our adventures and what led up to our discovering Captain Flint’s long-lost treasure on an island in the Caribbean. So here it is – the record of our search for Treasure Island and what led up to it – written by Jim Hawkins, cabin boy and resident of the Admiral Benbow Inn.
It all began when a strange seaman with a long scar on his right cheek came to my father’s inn to seek a room.
(JIM stands up and begins to polish drinking glasses. Billy BONES enters. Behind him is a MAN who is carrying Billy BONE’s sea chest.)
BONES
Boy! This seems a likely place for me to berth. Tell me about this place. JIM
There’s not much to tell sir. Trade has been a bit quiet of late. We don’t get too many visitors since my father died. He used to go into the port and get customers for the inn, being as how we’re a bit far out of town.
BONES
So, you don’t get many sailors here then, lad?
JIM
No sir.
BONES
That’ll suit me fine. I like to keep meself to meself. I’ll pay you six gold coins now and when it runs out, you just shout, and I’ll give you some more. I like to drink plenty of rum, and I want bacon and eggs every morning for breakfast. Beyond that, I’ll be no trouble.
JIM
Yes sir. I’ll go and tell my mother and she will make up a room for you.
BONES (Signaling to the man)
You there. Follow the lad and leave my chest in my room. Then come back here and I’ll give you a gold piece for carrying that heavy chest all the way from town.
MAN
Yes sir.
(JIM and the MAN go out. BONES takes out a telescope and looks out of the window and he talks to himself)
BONES
This should be the perfect spot. Reckon I can see every ship that comes in and out of port from that cliff up there. This place should be a good hideaway, far enough out of the way from prying eyes.
(The MAN and JIM return)
MAN
Your sea chest is stowed in your room sir.
BONES (Giving him a coin)
Good man. And here’s another coin to keep your trap shut about ever seeing me here. Do you understand?
MAN
Yes sir. Never seen you in my life sir. Trust me. (He leaves)
BONES
Now boy. You look like a sensible lad what keeps his eyes and ears open and his mouth shut.
JIM
Yes sir.
BONES
As I said afore, I likes to keep meself to meself. I particularly don’t want the company of other seamen – understand? If any seamen come into this inn, you come and find me and let me know and if anyone asks for me, you don’t know anything, understand?
JIM
Yes sir.
BONES
Above all, I want you to keep a close eye out for a man with a wooden leg. He’s a bad un he is. I’ll give you a silver sixpence every month if you’ll be my eyes and ears.
JIM
Yes sir.
BONES Good
(BONES leaves and JIM returns to his writing)
JIM
And so it went on, for several months. The strange seaman, Captain Bones he liked to be called, went out every day to the top of the cliff and watched the ships coming in to port through his telescope. If any seamen came to the inn he would stay in his room or perhaps watch them through a crack in the door. And always he would warn me to be on the lookout for the man with the wooden leg.
(JIM gets up and gets a broom and begins sweeping the floor. BLACK DOG enters.)